3-Minute Survey: Growing Produce At The Grocery Store

According to a recent survey, grocery shoppers aren’t too keen on mixing technology and food, despite wanting technology in every other aspect of their lives. So how do they like the idea of their local grocery store growing produce indoors? While some level of wariness is to be expected, the vast majority of shoppers actually embraced the idea, particularly if they had seen indoor growing at work.

After responding to attitudes on benefits, drawbacks, interests and concept names, respondents were asked one last “overall impression” question summarizing their feeling on growing produce at their grocery store, be it in the store itself, in growth containers behind the store or in the store’s produce warehouse. The bottom line? Many more shoppers showed enthusiasm for the concept than wariness.

· 57 percent believe indoor, on-premise growing makes total sense.

· 38 percent are not sure.

· 5 percent believe it sounds like a terrible idea.

An ironman in the store talks about the benefits of produce grown at the store.

While among some population groups there is a little more uncertainty or wariness, across most population groups the majority believe indoor growing makes total sense. The concept is met with greater enthusiasm among men, older Millennials (ages 27-38), families with kids, urban shoppers and highly educated, high-income shoppers. Parents added comments about the ability to show their children how produce is grown. Shoppers talked about how beautiful it would look in their store. Others thought it could help educate produce clerks along with shoppers and bring the farm closer to the fork. As for “seeing is believing,” 84 percent of those who have seen the concept at work believe it makes total sense vs. 45 percent who had neither seen nor heard about it.